A Fallen Charm
by Hitokiri Firefly
Summary: Rei is in love with a boy she doesn't even know...*broken up into chapters and has an alternate ending*
1. Chapter One - Depression

:: A FALLEN CHARM ::

  
  
A FALLEN CHARM ~ A BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILORMOON FANFIC  
written by hitokiri firefly-sama  
  
--------------------  
  
Disclaimers : All characters from Sailormoon potrayed here are not mine and never will be, I'm sure. I'm just playing around with them for a little while, and I promise I won't hurt them ^^. Anyway, don't sue me if you're some guy from Toei or something like that, 'cause I have no money. Really! *grin* Enjoy the story. I worked hard for it. 

Light profanity here. Grand total of six (I think) words ^^  
Rated PG-13 for waff, angst, romance, and language.  
  
--------------------  
  
_Longing for something that you don't have  
How long do you want to continue wishing for it?  
When I begin to understand that feeling like this  
Started from the first time I met you  
  
--- Fly High :: Hamasaki Ayumi_  
  
  
  
CHAPTER ONE  
  
As soon as Hino Rei opened her eyes, she knew she was late for school. But instead of panicking and jumping out of her covers and futon, she just laid there with her eyes fixed on the asbestos ceiling. She sighed. Somehow she didn't feel as if she had the strength to go anywhere today, even though she went to bed very early the night before. She rubbed her sleepy eyes slowly. She hadn't been feeling very energetic for the past few days anyway. 

And now that today was The Day, she felt positively lethargic. 

Slowly she slipped out from her reverie and forced herself to the bathroom. She looked down at her toothbrush and squeezed an ample amount of the minty paste on the soft bristles that were made to ensure your gums won't get hurt while brushing. /**Really**/, she thought. /**What were those guys thinking?**/ If the bristles were made any softer she might as well break all her teeth and be toothless for the rest of her life. 

Funny. She was the one who wanted the damn thing in the first place. 

After making sure that her teeth were dazzlingly clean and white and that her hair was in place and not sticking out all over the place, she trudged back to her room and put on her uniform. With a faint smile she ran her hand over the brown material, a wave of nostalgia sweeping over her. She remembered the first day she had entered high school. She was younger, definitely, and much more innocent than she was now. She had ambition, and her confidence was as high as the skies, and then some. She was sure that she would get high grades in all her subjects and would be the most popular girl in school, if not the smartest. She knew her limits and understood that she shouldn't push them. 

Oh, she still had all those things now, but now that school was coming to an end she wondered if it was worth it. In summary, her life hadn't changed much. She still wanted to be the Jinja's manager, and maybe she would go into enterprising. But a part of her was gone, she knew, and would probably never come back. Back then she had hope, and now that her senior year was almost over she felt she had none of that left. 

Even that. She felt so empty, inside. 

A sigh escaped her lips. Not for the first time in her life, she felt so unloved. Her mother had died when she was young, and her father was practically a stranger in her life. He had given her away to her ojii-chan soon after her mother's death, most probably because he couldn't bear looking at her without feeling remorse. Rei didn't blame her father, and she still doesn't. But for once in her life she wished that her father would wake up, get a grip on himself and come back to her. He purposely kept himself busy with his work so that he needn't see her. 

/**Otou-sama...**/. (1) 

She missed him. Yeah, even though he had abandoned her. 

She didn't take breakfast, because of more than one reason. Firstly, she didn't have an appetite. Secondly, she rarely ate nowadays, and not because she was suffering from anorexia, or something like that. She simply lost all interest in food. And since she was in a bad mood she supposed it would be an insult to the food to even look at them. 

She stopped walking and looked around her. She was on the Jinja's steps, heading down towards Jyuban street (2). All of a sudden her heart attempted a somersault, and it felt as though it was trying to break through her ribs. Her nervousness wasn't unusual. She always felt like this everyday, every damn school day. When it was the weekend she avoided walking down at this time of the day, afraid to see what she was dying to see. Yeah, she almost laughed at the irony of her fear. She just loved to contradict herself. But as it was, she was very late for school and she couldn't afford to be suspended just when she was about to graduate. 

She took a deep breath and resumed walking. Today was the day. 

The third anniversary of their meeting. 

The first time they had met was by the side of the street, not three feet from where she was standing now. She was just minding her own business when he walked by with a group of other guys. She didn't know what happened, but she fell then. Not as in physically, but something big happened to her, and she knew what it was. 

She fell in love. Hard. 

But he hardly looked at her, save glancing at her and giving her a small smile, out of politeness. She checked the time and from that day on she made sure she was there at the same time, just to see him (3). Sometimes he would be with his friends, other times he would be alone. But once, just once, she saw him with a girl, whom she assumed was his girlfriend. But she never saw him with her again, so she deduced that their relationship didn't work out. In fact, now that she was thinking about it, for the past year he was always alone when he walked by this blessed street. 

Rei stopped when she reached the street. To her immense relief (and disappointment), she saw no one around for about a mile. The street was strangely silent, but since half the city's population had woken up an hour earlier than her, she wasn't that surprised. But still she felt sad, cheated somehow. They were supposed to meet here, like they always did. They had approached each other here, everyday, for the past three years, without fail. Except for the weekends, when she went to great lengths to avoid that street, they saw each other practically every day. It was almost like routine, a routine which she religiously practices, albeit with a bit of reluctance. To break that routine was like committing a terrible sin against Kami-sama. She told herself to walk, to just forget about the whole thing. At least she still has school to go to. At the moment, though, she felt like going back to her room. 

Of course, she had also wished that he wouldn't be here. 

He. The love of her life. 

She thought of him as that, as the love of her life. 

Even though they had not spoken a word to each other. Not a word. 

Rei sighed and was about to resume her sad life, when she strode smack into a hard object. The force of the impact was so much so she found herself tumbling backwards, her arms flailing at her sides, trying to grab that invisible railing to steady herself. She landed on the hard pavement with a thud that echoed in her brain, and she believed that she had hurt herself in places she would not talk about in mixed company. /**What the hell?**/ she thought. She didn't remember a tree at this very spot. She could walk to school blindfolded for all she cared. 

"Gomen, daijoubu desu ka?" a voice said. Rei looked up and squinted. So she didn't walk into a tree. The owner of the voice had the sun behind his back, and she saw stars that should have disappeared when morning came. Cursing softly under her breath, she took the offered hand and let herself being pulled up. 

Then she got a good look at him. Oh, Kami-sama. 

It's Him. With a capital H. 

She felt like fainting then.   
  
  


  
--------------------  
  
_Glossary_  
  
1. Gomen - Sorry  
2. Daijoubu desu ka? - Are you all right?  
3. Kami - God  
4. -sama is actually an honorific used to address someone of importance or to be respected, someone to be revered upon, or just someone who should be addressed with utmost humility.  
5. Jinja - Temple (As in Hikawa Jinja = Hikawa Temple)  
  
Notes:  
  
(1) I used _Otou-sama_ instead of the more common _Otou-san/Otou-chan_ to properly translate Rei calling her dad as "Father". Besides, it's more respectful, and there hadn't been much warmth between the two of them, anyway.  
  
(2) Is there a Jyuban street in the world of Sailormoon? I wonder...  
  
(3) Just to straighten things out, this whole fanfic plot is mine, it came out of my own head. I do realise that the similarity between my story and that of manga-ka Adachi Mitsuru is uncanny, but let me state here that at the time of writing I had never even heard of Adachi-san ^^.  
  
  
The Hitokiri Firefly (formerly known as Earth Firefly)  
Visit my anime/kenshin site, :: Ookina Yume :: at  
http://www.geocities.com/shairil_firefly  
or mail me at shairil_firefly@yahoo.com 

What does everyone seek by fighting?  
Does spilled blood cause flowers to bloom?  
Until the precious tomorrow is in my hands...  
I wander the seemingly dark future... -- Kiseki no Umi


	2. Chapter Two - Impression

:: A FALLEN CHARM ::

  
  
A FALLEN CHARM ~ A BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILORMOON FANFIC  
written by hitokiri firefly-sama  
  
********************  
  
Disclaimers : All characters from Sailormoon potrayed here are not mine and never will be, I'm sure. I'm just playing around with them for a little while, and I promise I won't hurt them ^^. Anyway, don't sue me if you're some guy from Toei or something like that, 'cause I have no money. Really! *grin* Enjoy the story. I worked hard for it. 

Light profanity here. Grand total of six (I think) words ^^  
Rated PG-13 for waff, angst, romance, and language.  
  
********************  
  
_Longing for something that you don't have  
How long do you want to continue wishing for it?  
When I begin to understand that feeling like this  
Started from the first time I met you  
  
--- Fly High :: Hamasaki Ayumi_  
  
  
  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
"Anou, daijoubu desu ka?" he asked again, concern touching his features. Rei realised that she still hadn't said anything, and she realised she didn't even so much as squeaked when she had hit the ground. She nodded slowly and blinked at him, feeling as though her voice box had decided to close shop forever. She managed to croak an answer, though. 

"Ee, watashi wa daijoubu desu," Kami-sama, how humiliating this is. 

He smiled and brushed back a strand of hair. Rei stared at that strand, knowing she had dreamed of running her fingers through that black mass of hair so many times for the past three years. But she had to fight with herself not to actually do it; besides, he wouldn't appreciate it. Her hand had dirt on it, from the ground. 

"Sou ka? In that case, I'd better be going," he said, stepping out of her way. He hoisted his backpack to a more secure position, and she saw a strand of lint on his shoulder. She moved to brush it away then stopped. What was she, a geek or something? No, that wouldn't be proper. They didn't know each other. 

"See ya," she croaked again, and this time she mentally kicked herself. He turned to look at her and flashed a smile that she had seen many times, but had never gotten bored of it. She watched as he disappeared around the corner, gone from her sight. Her initial sadness came back to her with a wham. She realised that she still didn't know his name, but it didn't matter for now. She had heard his koe for the very first time in her eighteen years of life. And he had heard hers as well, but she didn't know if he realised that rather trivial fact at all. If he had noticed, she doubted he'd like it. She had sounded like a frog who just had its tonsils taken out. 

She sighed and went back to the Hikawa Jinja. She had no mood for school at all.  
  
--------------------  
  
Two weeks later and a week away from graduation, Rei still hadn't recovered from her foul mood. School had just let out, and her backpack felt as if it had just produced rocks in the last thirty minutes. She couldn't believe that her teacher still gave out homeworks, the nerve! It was almost the end of the school year and they still wanted to torture the students. That was one of the reasons she hated her school. It used to hold such a special place in her heart, but now that she was graduating she supposed she was destined to become a grumpy and cranky old woman who enjoyed doing assignments as much as a bench enjoyed being sat on. She almost laughed at the silly thought. 

She reached the Jinja steps and plopped down on the hard cement. She didn't care if she was soiling her skirt, and two years ago she would have screamed if she had to sit on a chair that hadn't been cleaned with Lysol. She chuckled at the thought. She was a brat then, a classic pain. But even if she had been a snob and thought that every other living organisms were beneath her standards, she had friends. But those friends, where were they now? They had deserted her when she had needed them most. No friends, mood swings, and a nasty bout of depression, and you get a very unhealthy mix of a troubled teenager. But then again, she only had herself to blame. 

Even Usagi. Her beloved Usagi. She had pushed away her best friend in the world, even though the kawaii bunny had implored her to let her help her. 

And now they wisely stayed away, knowing that she wanted to be alone. But at the same time she hated the solitude, the kodoku. 

She contradicted herself all the time. 

She broke down then. She felt so sad, she just had to let it go. She didn't care if people were staring, why should they care anyway? All they could do was look and walk away, afraid that if they approached her she might lash out and hurt them. Yes, she could feel all these emotions, but like she said, she didn't care. No one bothered to comfort her, or even ask her what's wrong. Her heart felt as though it was bleeding, and she believed it was. Three years ago she had dreams, but now they were gone like dust blown away by the wind. She wondered where they went, when things had gone wrong. How she had messed up her life. 

Was it because of her father? She didn't think so. He hardly ever saw her anymore. 

Was it because of school? She didn't know. 

Or was it because she used to have so much love and had given it all away, but not getting the same thing in return? She didn't know the answer to that, either. 

More tears. She had so much of them. 

She knew there was someone sitting beside her on the steps without even looking. She could sense presences, after all, but she didn't turn to see who it was. She kept on crying, making a mess of herself and looking like a fool. If it was Usagi, she was strangely silent, very unlike her noisy self. It couldn't be ojii-chan; he would have announced his presence a mile away. It if was Yuicchirou, she would have smelt his shampoo. After about ten more minutes of sobbing and sniffling, she wiped at her tears and looked up. 

"Are you done?" 

She felt like crying again. The question, posed as casually as was possible, was not said in an unkind tone. Rather, gentleness was all Rei heard as her companion turned a pair of inquisitive dark blue eyes on her. 

It was him, the love of her life. She had to stop thinking of him as that. It was bad for her depression. Even though he was sitting on the steps beside her, she still had to look up to him, as he was THAT tall. Her eyes widened and she could feel hot tears welling up at the corners of her eyes again. Kami-sama, she was such a crybaby today. "Anata..." her voice trailed away in bewilderment. 

He nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's me," he said. He looked at her closely, probably worried if he should start a conversation. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Hora," he offered. 

"Arigatou," Rei mumbled. She blew her nose into his handkerchief. She did it so loud she knew he was disgusted ather. What a wonderful way to start a relationship. 

"Are you all right? I could go away if you want," he said. Rei shook her head, not sure if she was shaking her head to his question or to the offer he just made. She sniffed. "Iya, daijoubu." Again she croaked. 

He smiled at her, but even though somewhere at the back of her mind she felt her knees turning into jelly, she didn't smile back. She couldn't force her muscles to do so this time, she had been forcing them to do things they didn't want to do for the past three years. She noticed how close they were sitting next to each other, almost as if they had known each other for years and that they were more than just acquaintances. Rei sniffed again. She looked at the high cement wall to her right, searching the ivy for bacterias. 

"Anou...do you want to talk about it?" he asked softly beside her. 

Rei half-expected him to place his hand over hers, which was completely nuts. She turned to look at him and smiled faintly. She knew it looked more like a grimace. She wet her dry lips and felt tired all of a sudden. "But I don't even know you." 

He smiled again, and from the way he smiled it was as though he didn't even see her bawling her eyes out not two minutes ago. For that small gesture, she was glad. She suddenly felt embarassed at having cried in a public place. He extended his hand to her. "Then let me introduce myself. I am Takujiro Kazuo, a senior at Jyuban High, about to graduate in a week's time. And you are?" 

Rei weakly accepted his hand and shook it. "Hino Rei. Senior at T.A. Academy for Girls. About to graduate too." Simple and stupid. Short and pathetic. 

"Well, Hino-san, you seem like you need someone to talk to. Since we're the only ones here, it might as well be me," Kazuo said. 

"You're very bold, do you know that?" Rei said, amazed. Here she was, talking to the main source of her pain, and yet she found that she was enjoying it. It was just as well that he came when he did. She didn't know what she would have done. The thought of suicide had passed her thoughts a few times too many, but she didn't think of herself as a suicidal person. Often, she would instead find comfort in her fire. 

But she was worried that one day she will stick her hand in the ire and then suddenly find herself engulfed in flames. 

She hadn't consulted her fire in over a month, for that reason. 

Kazuo chuckled. "I don't think so. We've been seeing each other at this street for quite some time now." He paused and looked at Rei. "I wonder why we never spoke to each other before," he continued, in a musing tone, as if really wondering the reason why. 

Boy, did she feel the same way. "I noticed." 

"Ikou," he said, standing up. Rei looked up, startled, and accepted his hand. He pulled her up easily, as though she was as light as feather. They came to within inches of each other, and she wondered if Kazuo could see her flaming cheeks. Her tears had practically vaporised because of the blush. She chuckled to herself. Her sense of humour was back, and only then she realised how much she missed it. 

"Let's go to the park," he said. "You might feel better after going there." 

"You mean I might feel better after looking at a bunch of stupid ducks swimming around in a small pond?" she asked. He smiled at her and she returned the gesture. "I don't know, Takujiro-san, I don't even know you." What was wrong with her? Leave it to her to spoil the happiest moment of her life. 

He waved at her, as if brushing the remark away. "Aa, call me Kazuo." He paused as he did earlier and this time his look was practically burning a hole between her eyes. "I won't make you promise anything, Hino-san. You don't have to feel indebted to me, or anything. I just want to take you to the park." 

Upon hearing his words, Rei felt as though the air was cut off from her lungs. She blinked at him in surprise. Slowly, like the coming of spring after a harsh winter, she felt another emotion play around in her heart, though she couldn't be sure if it was joy. It sure did feel weird, though. She hadn't felt it in a while. "All right, Kazuo...-kun." (1)   
  
  


  
--------------------  
  
_Glossary_  
  
1. Anou - roughly translated along the lines of "Umm", "Hey", or the like.  
2. Daijoubu desu ka? - You all right?  
3. Ee - Yes (as in affirmative, a positive version of the rather vague "Hai")  
4. Watashi - I (often used when interacting with strangers. Girls often use this, but there's no reason for guys not to use this as well when in a formal situation).  
5. Sou ka? - Is that so?  
6. koe - voice  
7. kawaii - cute, adorable  
8. ojii - grandpa  
9. -chan - an honorific often used to address someone who is very dear to you, or to address a younger person (used in an informal situation).  
10. anata - you (formal, can be used by both girls and guys).  
11. hora - here/look! ^^  
12. arigatou - thanks  
13. iya - no  
14. daijoubu - all right/I'm all right. Use it with the particle _desu ka_ and you get a question ^^.  
15. ikou - let's go  
16. -kun - an honorific used when addressing a person of lower social status, or of equal position. School girls use this when addressing guys with the same age as theirs. Guys can also use this when talking to their male friends, or even to girls, provided they are socially inferior (like a male boss talking to his female secretary, or a male sempai talking to a younger girl student, etc.) Kuno-sempai uses -kun when he talks to Akane (as in Akane-kun).  
17. Jinja - Temple (As in Hikawa Jinja = Hikawa Temple)  
18. kodoku - loneliness  
19. -san - an honorific used when addressing strangers, or just people who needed to be addressed with respect. Also used by kids addressing older people (like their parents, teachers), or by people who just got to know each other. Think of it as "Mr" or "Miss" ^^.   
  
Notes:  
  
(1) Rei added the -kun after Kazuo's name because she's a very polite girl and wasn't used to just calling strangers by their first name ^^.  
  
  
The Hitokiri Firefly (formerly known as Earth Firefly)  
Visit my anime/kenshin site, :: Ookina Yume :: at  
http://www.geocities.com/shairil_firefly  
or mail me at shairil_firefly@yahoo.com 

What does everyone seek by fighting?  
Does spilled blood cause flowers to bloom?  
Until the precious tomorrow is in my hands...  
I wander the seemingly dark future... -- Kiseki no Umi


	3. Chapter Three - Communication

:: A FALLEN CHARM ::

  
  
A FALLEN CHARM ~ A BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILORMOON FANFIC  
written by hitokiri firefly-sama  
  
********************  
  
Disclaimers : All characters from Sailormoon potrayed here are not mine and never will be, I'm sure. I'm just playing around with them for a little while, and I promise I won't hurt them ^^. Anyway, don't sue me if you're some guy from Toei or something like that, 'cause I have no money. Really! *grin* Enjoy the story. I worked hard for it. 

Light profanity here. Grand total of four words ^^  
Rated PG-13 for waff, angst, romance, and language.  
  
********************  
  
_Longing for something that you don't have  
How long do you want to continue wishing for it?  
When I begin to understand that feeling like this  
Started from the first time I met you  
  
--- Fly High :: Hamasaki Ayumi_  
  
  
  
CHAPTER THREE  
  
By the time the week was over, Kazuo had known all of her history, from the time she discovered that she was a senshi up to the present time. She couldn't explain it, but she trusted Kazuo with the knowledge. Besides, she thought it wasn't very important (1). But she didn't exactly tell him everything. She conveniently left out the part where she had fallen in love. Fallen for him, to be exact. And from the way he acted around her, Rei gathered that he didn't share the same feelings. It was just as well. It would be asking too much of Kami if she were to ask for his love. She was happy just talking to him. 

On the day of her graduation, she waited at the Jinja steps for him. She couldn't care if she was late for school, the hell with what the teachers thought. She didn't have to wait long. He appeared in front of her, without her noticing it, but that was usual with Kazuo (2). She didn't question about it too much. It was just his way. 

But today Kazuo didn't have his usual smile on. Rei knew he wanted to talk to her. From his expression, he looked as though he thought that she might not be comfortable with what he had to say. 

/**Or I guess that's what he thinks.**/ 

"Rei," he said, calling her by her first name. He's started calling her that soon after their first walk in the park together. She didn't mind. It seemed natural. At the moment, his dark eyes were expressionless, revealing no emotion. "We have to talk." 

Rei slowly stood up and looked at the ground. "Hai," she said softly, following Kazuo's lead. 

They went to the park, where he had first taken her a few days ago. A lot had happened between them during that time. She refused to think of it as a date, although it had seemed very much like one. Kazuo was like a friend, a very good friend to her, and it was remarkable considering the short time they spent together. To her, it wasn't enough, but she had to be content. 

But with each passing day, she found that she wanted him more than anything else. She wanted him bad, and that is an understatement of the year. 

Greed. That's what it was. Human's most despised trait. 

Kazuo was silent as he threw pieces of bread that he brought with him to the ducks. The ducks quacked as they pecked at the bread. Rei stood beside him, Kazuo leaning against the bridge's railing. She didn't have to wait long. She spent the time waiting staring at Kazuo's profile. 

"Are you staring at me?" Kazuo spoke softly, his eyes never leaving the ducks. At this, Rei averted her eyes and felt a horrible blush creeping around her nose. She bit her lower lip, hoping desperately that she wouldn't suddenly develop Ami's tendency to have allergies everytime she blushed. 

Kazuo turned towards her, and resting an arm against the railing, and smiled faintly. "It's all right, Rei, I don't mind." From his sentence, it sounded as though he was being conceited, but when she looked at him she realised that he was hinting at something. Her eyes widened when she realised that it was an unspoken confession on his part, that he didn't mind doing the same thing to her as well. 

She blushed even harder. /**Oh, dammit**/. 

He chuckled softly at her reddening face. Taking on a more serious face, he looked down at his hands. "I---I guess by now you should know how I feel about you," Kazuo said softly, uncertainty tainting his voice. Rei didn't speak, as she was too busy trying to get her body temperature back to normal. Kazuo went on. "I've wanted to know you for so long, you know that?" 

Rei nodded, more to herself than to him. "I---I guess I do," He just wanted to know her, that is all. He didn't want to love her. Yes, that's it. 

"For the past three years," Kazuo continued, his gaze taking a faraway look. "We've passed each other on the same street, at the same time, almost at the same spot. I still remember when I first saw you." He smiled and looked at her. "I thought to myself : Now there's a really kakkoi girl." 

Rei's face fell, even though she didn't look very enraptured from the beginning. She didn't like the way this conversation was going. Pretty soon he was going to tell her that he liked her and all, but let's just stay friends. Isn't that obvious? She almost laughed out loud. 

Kazuo returned his eyes to the ducks. "But as time passed by, I realised that you were more than just cool. You were unique, heck, I even let the word kawaii pass by my thoughts. After a while, I dared to think you were pretty." He paused and threw another piece of bread. "But one day I woke up, kick myself mentally, and thought why am I so afraid to think of you as anything but kirei." 

/**Nani?**/. What was he saying? 

Rei had to take a breath. This was all too weird. 

"With that realisation, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I used to date a girl from Jyuban High, but she knew that I was distracted so that never worked out. I even ditched my friends on the way to school, hoping that when we stumble each other, we would be alone. But everytime I had that chance, I'd lose my nerve and I would chicken out. I was afraid that you noticed me and thought of me as a stalker or something, 'cause you always have your friends with you whenever you're not walking down that street. Yes, Rei, I followed you around town on a few occassions. Don't look so shocked, Rei, I thought you knew." 

Rei's eyes were wide. She shook her head. "Iie, Kazuo-kun." 

Kazuo smiled at the water. "But for the past few months, I noticed that you don't go out much anymore. I wondered why. I even thought of asking you, but what was I thinking? We're not even what people call acquaintances! But my hope returned when you walked smack into me last week. I don't know what happened, but suddenly I had courage. Maybe it's because we're about to stop going to high school. I knew I had to tell you before it's too late." 

Rei had to remind herself to breathe. "Tell me what?" she asked in a breathless tone. 

Kazuo turned and touched her face. He had never touched her before, and Rei felt as though he had the ability to caress her very soul just with his beautiful eyes. Kazuo ran a thumb over her cheek. "And last week, I fell for you even more, and it was more than just a physical attraction. I knew that I couldn't back out now, not when I was so close." 

Rei looked down at the ground. That was the neat thing about the ground. It was always there when you'd rather not look at the face of a boy whom you had fallen madly in love with. She exhaled the breath that she held in. Fell for her? What was he saying? Was he saying what she was thinking? 

* /**What---I can't think! Kami-sama, my thoughts are all muddled up!**/. 

Looking up at his face, Rei bit her lower lip. "Tasukete, Kazuo-kun. Wa---wakaranaide," she whispered. 

"Of course you do, Rei," Kazuo said, his hand resting on her shoulder. "You know what I am trying to say to you." 

She felt her lips tremble. "Oshiete, onegai," she whispered, feeling tears welling in the corners of her eyes. 

Kazuo didn't say anything. Slowly, and a bit cautiously, he pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her in a loose embrace. Startled, Rei didn't say anything. She felt his hot breath against her ear, tingling her senses. He whispered in her ear. "I'm in love with you, Rei. I always have. And I always will." 

Closing her eyes, Rei let her tears fall down, wetting her cheeks. With a sob, she wrapped her own arms around Kazuo, burying her face in the hollow of his shoulder. She couldn't help but cry harder, feeling so stupid all the while. She didn't say anything, her cries subsiding into pitiful sniffles as she realised that she was probably messing up Kazuo's shirt. 

Kazuo tightened his hold on her. Rei could hear him sigh as he spoke. "Gomen," he spoke silently, resting his chin on her head. "I've upset you." 

Such innocent words, spoken with painful clarity. He began to let go of her, and stepped back, his face taking a guilty look. 

/**Nani? What's with him?**/ Then she realised. /**Oh, so he thinks I didn't like his confession. Sou ka...**/. 

Rei wiped at her tears, ashamed at making a fool of herself. This was the second time she had cried in front of Kazuo. Being the senshi of Mars, guardian of the fire element, she had never allowed herself to be weak, so public displays of vulnerability used to be a nil for her. But this person in front of her...had so much power over her, and Rei bet the Jinja that Kazuo did not know that. It was plain to be seen when he thought that she didn't feel the same way about him. 

"Kazuo-kun," she began, taking his hand and squeezing it gently. "You remember when I was crying my eyes out in front of the Jinja, when you came and offered me your hanky?" When he didn't answer, she pressed on. "You know, the hanky which I still haven't returned to you?" 

"Hai, hai, yes I remember," Kazuo said with a slight smile which also managed to look sad at the same time. "What about it?" 

Rei wetted her lips. "You asked me if I wanted to talk about what's bothering me. I think I want to talk about it now." He didn't answer, a sign of silent admission that she should continue. Rei took a deep breath and began. 

"I was crying because I was feeling all crappy, all thanks to me actually. I took a trip down memory lane and found that I wasn't what people would call a role model. My life sucked, my father is too dense to notice that his daughter was growing up, my ojii-chan to old to bother with a mite like me, and my studies, even though they're above average, isn't exactly going the way I thought they would," she paused and then looked at Kazuo. "I was also crying because of you." 

Kazuo's eyes widened. "Ore ni?" He frowned a bit. "Naze?" 

Rei socked him lightly on the shoulder. "For the same reason you said you stalked me, baka. I felt so helpless about the whole situation and didn't know how to tell you." 

At this he smiled. "Eeto...sou ka?" Rei tried to restrain herself from laughing because he sounded so silly all of a sudden. 

She laughed anyway. "You are one idiot if I ever knew one." 

"What do you mean?" he asked. 

She laughed again and pulled him toward her. In a soft voice, she continued. "You're an idiot because you have to love me. I am like you said, beautiful. Hell, I might even be your flaming goddess! I thought I had been living in hell for the past three years, but it looks like I'm not the only idiot around here. We are two pathetic souls, made for each other. And besides, I didn't walk smack into you. You walked over me. Yeah, it was all your fault. And guess what, you can love me all you want, 'cause why?" 

She paused to take a breath, and looked at him squarely in the eye, as if challenging him. "Because I love you too." (3) * 

That was all the encouragement he needed. He leaned down and kissed her, and the pain she had went through for the past three years were nothing compared to the joy that she felt in the depths of her heart. It almost felt as if it was worth it. And by Jove it was. 

"I love you," she whispered through her tears. But this time she cried not in pain. 

  
~OWARI~  
  
  
  


  
--------------------  
  
_Glossary_  
  
1. Hai - said in affirmative, like agreeing with something.  
2. kakkoii - cool, neat, funky ^^  
3. kirei - beautiful  
4. Iie - No  
5. -kun - an honorific used when addressing a person of lower social status, or of equal position. School girls use this when addressing guys with the same age as theirs. Guys can also use this when talking to their male friends, or even to girls, provided they are socially inferior (like a male boss talking to his female secretary, or a male sempai talking to a younger girl student, etc.) Kuno-sempai uses -kun when he talks to Akane (as in Akane-kun).  
6. Kami - God  
7. -sama is actually an honorific used to address someone of importance or to be respected, someone to be revered upon, or just someone who should be addressed with utmost humility.  
8. tasukete - help me  
9. wakaranaide - I don't understand  
10. oshiete - tell me  
11. onegai - please (almost like in a plea/beg)  
12. gomen - sorry/forgive me  
13. nani - what  
14. sou ka - I see/Is that so  
15. Jinja - Temple (In this case, Rei lives in Hikawa Jinja, or Hikawa Temple)  
16. ore - I/me (used by guys, this is a more rougher version as compared to _boku_, which is also used by guys. _Boku_ is also used by boyish females (as in the case of Tenoh Haruka). But then again I've heard very pretty female singers like Hamasaki Ayumi and Hitomi use _boku_, so I'm not entirely sure. Suffice it to say, it is rougher than the mild _Watashi/Atashi._  
17. naze - why  
18. baka - silly/stupid/idiot.  
19. Eeto - Err/Umm  
  
  
Notes:  
I do realise that the ending's kinda abrupt, but I couldn't find another way to end it. Besides, I was starting to feel tired so this will do for today -o- zzzzzz.  
  
(1) I tried to avoid adding this into the story, 'cause I was afraid people might read too much into it. This is supposed to be something minor which shouldn't affect the story.  
  
(2) I hope people are not getting ideas that Kazuo's a mutant or anything ^^;;. He's just a normal guy.  
  
(3) I didn't use _Aishiteru_ 'cause I just didn't feel like it :P  
  
The asterisks (*) are placed to indicate that I actually have an alternate ending to this story, one which was originally used when I first published this story on Fanfiction.Net. Two years after its debut on the net, I reread this story and thought that it sucked all the way to hell, so I got right down and redid the ending ^^. I WAS two years younger when I first wrote this, so of course I was also two years dumber ^^. 

I made this fic because I was inspired (yeah). It was based on Rei's monologue from the Stars Album. I am not sure of the name. In the monologue, Rei often saw this boy in front of the Jinja before going to school, but he never noticed her (unlike our dear Kazuo who noticed Rei all right ^^). One day, he dropped a charm and she picked it up for him, but she split before he could thank her (aww, our Rei's sooo shy, isn't she?). From that time on, she watched him from afar, never knowing his name, never hearing his voice (which was why I made it important for Rei when she first spoke to Kazuo), and also never seeing his face (how'd she manage that?). But one day she saw him offering his charm to a cute, and I quote : "pink-ribboned girl", and Rei's hope totally went out the window. I really felt for her then. You should check out her monologue. It's really something. 

_This fic was revised and modified by Hitokiri Firefly(tm) on the 28th of February 2002._  
  
  
The Hitokiri Firefly (formerly known as Earth Firefly)  
Visit my anime/kenshin site, :: Ookina Yume :: at  
http://www.geocities.com/shairil_firefly  
or mail me at shairil_firefly@yahoo.com 

What does everyone seek by fighting?  
Does spilled blood cause flowers to bloom?  
Until the precious tomorrow is in my hands...  
I wander the seemingly dark future... -- Kiseki no Umi


	4. Chapter Four - Alternate Ending

:: A FALLEN CHARM ::

  
  
A FALLEN CHARM ~ A BISHOUJO SENSHI SAILORMOON FANFIC  
written by hitokiri firefly-sama  
  
********************  
  
Disclaimers : All characters from Sailormoon potrayed here are not mine and never will be, I'm sure. I'm just playing around with them for a little while, and I promise I won't hurt them ^^. Anyway, don't sue me if you're some guy from Toei or something like that, 'cause I have no money. Really! *grin* Enjoy the story. I worked hard for it.

:: READ !!! ::

  
If you somehow got here without actually reading Chapter Three (which I highly doubt, unless I wrote the links in wrongly), please that one first, 'so you won't get confused ^^. This is an alternate ending to Chapter Three, one which was used when I first published the story on Fanfiction.Net, but I redid the ending 'cause I thought it too childish (I did this story like two years ago, so I was two years dumber ^^;;). This ending continues after the asterisk (*) which I've placed in Chapter Three. 

Light profanity here. Grand total of four words ^^  
Rated PG-13 for waff, angst, romance, and language.  
  
********************  
  
_Longing for something that you don't have  
How long do you want to continue wishing for it?  
When I begin to understand that feeling like this  
Started from the first time I met you  
  
--- Fly High :: Hamasaki Ayumi_  
  
  
  
ALTERNATE ENDING  
  
She still wasn't sure. "I don't understand." 

"Of course you do, Rei," Kazuo said, his hand resting on her shoulder. "You know what I am trying to say to you." 

She felt her lips quiver. "Tell me," she whispered. 

Kazuo didn't say anything for a grand total of two seconds. She counted. He pulled her closer and whispered in her ear. "I love you, Rei. I always have. And I always will." 

Rei looked up and threw her arms around his neck, catching him by surprise. Obviously he didn't expect that kind of reaction. She pulled back and wiped at the tears which had mysteriously appeared. "I'm sorry," she said. 

"That wasn't what I expected," Kazuo said, smiling goofily. 

Rei laughed. "You are one idiot if I ever knew one." 

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. 

She laughed again. "You're an idiot because you have to love me. I am like you said, beautiful. Hell, I might even be your flaming goddess! I know you can't live without me, you said as much. And you know what? I can't live without you too! Surprise, ne? You didn't think I felt the same way, right? I thought I had been living in hell for the past three years, but it looks like I'm not the only idiot around here. We are two pathetic souls, made for each other. And besides, I didn't walk smack into you. You walked over me. It was all your fault. Yeah, you are to be blamed. And guess what, you can love me all you want, 'cause why?" She paused to take a breath. "Because I love you too." 

That was all he needed. He leaned down and kissed her, and the pain that she had went through for the past three years were nothing compared to the joy that she felt in the depths of her heart. It almost felt as if it was worth it. And it was. 

"I love you," she whispered through her tears. But this time she cried not in pain. 

"You're the best," Kazuo said, still holding her close. 

"Better than the rest," she agreed teasingly. 

She felt so happy she felt like touching the skies, and then some.  
  
  
  
  
~OWARI~ 

  
  
  
Notes :   
  
Now, what did I say? Wasn't that just so crappy? ^^  
  
  
_This fic was revised and modified by Hitokiri Firefly(tm) on the 28th of February 2002._  
  
  
The Hitokiri Firefly (formerly known as Earth Firefly)  
Visit my anime/kenshin site, :: Ookina Yume :: at  
http://www.geocities.com/shairil_firefly  
or mail me at shairil_firefly@yahoo.com 

What does everyone seek by fighting?  
Does spilled blood cause flowers to bloom?  
Until the precious tomorrow is in my hands...  
I wander the seemingly dark future... -- Kiseki no Umi


End file.
